took the plunge

[mjh]

After a year of hemming and hawing, I finally took the plunge and bought a 2020 Civic Si of my very own! I couldn't be happier, and can't wait to get through the break-in period so I can really put it through its paces. I think Honda should give this board a commission, for all the time I've spent on it before buying. Having a community of people who put so much time and thought into the car definitely helped in the final push.

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[Siiick]

Looks great! Congrats with your new Si. I'm up to a whopping 58 miles now with mine, only 542 miles to go before the break-in is officially complete.

 

[DieNasti]

Congrats! Looks awesome, enjoy.

 

[mjh]

Looks great! Congrats with your new Si. I'm up to a whopping 58 miles now with mine, only 542 miles to go before the break-in is officially complete.

Yeah, I had 66 when I pulled it out of the lot

 

[MaxPower]

Congrats, looks great. I remember some of your posts/comments in the "Civic versus" forum about some of the same non-Civic options I've been considering. In the end, what made you end up choosing the Si over the others? I mean, besides the inexorable civicx community push.

Also, I see you're also in NJ - do you mind sharing which dealer you purchased from? And if they gave you a decent deal?

 

[SHAYN3R]

Welcome!

Those 2020's claim to be a little quicker than the previous years. Any plans on modifying?

 

[mjh]

Congrats, looks great. I remember some of your posts/comments in the "Civic versus" forum about some of the same non-Civic options I've been considering. In the end, what made you end up choosing the Si over the others? I mean, besides the inexorable civicx community push.

Also, I see you're also in NJ - do you mind sharing which dealer you purchased from? And if they gave you a decent deal?

Happy to share my thinking. I ruled out the GLI because of reliability concerns. That's actually what prompted me to pull the trigger sooner rather than later, there were a few things starting to go on with my current Jetta I didn't like, and I was concerned that if I waited any longer I would be dumping money into a car that I was already planning to sell. I test drove the Kia Forte DCT and wasn't impressed. And the Forte GT with manual didn't have some of the equipment I deem essential, especially heated seats (I'm 51 and set in my ways!).

A couple things over the summer caused me to confirm the Civic Si was the car I wanted. First, I Turo'd a CivicX (non-Si) over the summer, to see for myself if I could work with / tolerate the infotainment. I realized I could, especially with the new and (IMO) vastly improved Android Auto as an option. Second, on several long highway drives in my gf's car and a few rentals, I discovered the value of adaptive cruise. I fully intend to keep this car for at least about 5-7 years or more, and I decided I didn't want my daily (only) driver to lack that tech.

So at the end of the day, I always had eyes for CivicX (see what I've owned in the past), and by 2020 some of the weaknesses were mitigated, and a benefit (to me) was added, in having adaptive cruise. I know many others on the board would disagree with that assessment. I don't care about the other Sensing stuff much, and I've already turned off Lanewatch, because I hate how it takes over the screen. Absolutely another factor is the potential added fun of a TSP Stage 1 tune down the line, although I have no intention of even considering that for several thousand miles. I'm just so super-pumped to be driving a fun stick car again. The test drive yesterday, and the driving I've done since, has reminded me how much I missed that. As I mentioned earlier, I can't wait to have the car broken in and put it through its paces on some of the backroads around here.

I wound up buying from Madison Honda. I got a good but not great price from them -- a shade over a thousand under sticker. The key is they made it quick and painless. I already had a Carvana offer for my VW, and a check-ready auto loan from PNC (which I highly recommend doing). By Friday night I was already in touch via email with several dealers, and as a flier I requested a quote using Cars Direct, which is what directed me to Madison. I was called by their internet guy that morning, was in the dealership by 12:30, and driving home by 3:40. They honored the quote given online, had zero dealer-installed add-ons (a must for me), and clinched the deal by offering a trade in value on my VW that was within shouting range of Carvana, which I had not expected. I know if I went in fully loaded for bear, and willing to drive around several dealerships, I could have squeezed out a better deal. But I was ready to buy, and was willing to sacrifice a couple bucks for a relatively quick, hassle-free experience. They gave that to me. I would also definitely recommend Clinton Honda. They are the Costco dealer, and I would have used them in a heartbeat if they had the Si in stock. They are universally well-reviewed online as well. If you are in my neck of the woods, Autosport in Bridgewater would be worth a look. There are a few others I can give pro or con on. I almost bought an Accord a year ago and I have gathered some info on darn near every dealership between Monmouth and Sussex counties. Yes, I'm a bit detail-oriented.

 

[mjh]

Welcome!

Those 2020's claim to be a little quicker than the previous years. Any plans on modifying?

Probably minimal ones at most. As I mentioned, I definitely could see TSP Stage 1 as a possibility after I put several thousand miles on it. But other than that, and probably a new shift knob, I doubt I'll do much in terms of mods. I'm not a mechanically skilled person at all.

 

[COOL COUPE]

I don't think the 2020 is faster but another member had a really good point. It could be spot on. You can't drive around in first gear because it is too bouncy and third is too tall so by default so when tooling around town ... it's second gear. With the 2020 gear change I would guess you could more confidently sprout around town at low speed without the gearing issue I tend to feel in my 2019 ... Like the gear is a bit awkward at low speeds ... feeling a bit too tall. I was just fooling around with an old mid 80's Eagle Talon TSi. Great purchase - regardless. Are you saying you had that many miles on the car when you made the purchase? 66 miles? Or you put on 66 miles right off the bat?

 

[mjh]

I don't think the 2020 is faster but another member had a really good point. It could be spot on. You can't drive around in first gear because it is too bouncy and third is too tall so by default so when tooling around town ... it's second gear. With the 2020 gear change I would guess you could more confidently sprout around town at low speed without the gearing issue I tend to feel in my 2019 ... Like the gear is a bit awkward at low speeds ... feeling a bit too tall. I was just fooling around with an old mid 80's Eagle Talon TSi. Great purchase - regardless. Are you saying you had that many miles on the car when you made the purchase? 66 miles? Or you put on 66 miles right off the bat?

I meant 66 was on the odometer when I pulled out of the dealership. I've test driven a '19 in the past, but I would have zero guess how much different the new gearing makes. I would live that to more experienced people than me.

 

[MaxPower]

Happy to share my thinking. I ruled out the GLI because of reliability concerns. That's actually what prompted me to pull the trigger sooner rather than later, there were a few things starting to go on with my current Jetta I didn't like, and I was concerned that if I waited any longer I would be dumping money into a car that I was already planning to sell. I test drove the Kia Forte DCT and wasn't impressed. And the Forte GT with manual didn't have some of the equipment I deem essential, especially heated seats (I'm 51 and set in my ways!).

A couple things over the summer caused me to confirm the Civic Si was the car I wanted. First, I Turo'd a CivicX (non-Si) over the summer, to see for myself if I could work with / tolerate the infotainment. I realized I could, especially with the new and (IMO) vastly improved Android Auto as an option. Second, on several long highway drives in my gf's car and a few rentals, I discovered the value of adaptive cruise. I fully intend to keep this car for at least about 5-7 years or more, and I decided I didn't want my daily (only) driver to lack that tech.

So at the end of the day, I always had eyes for CivicX (see what I've owned in the past), and by 2020 some of the weaknesses were mitigated, and a benefit (to me) was added, in having adaptive cruise. I know many others on the board would disagree with that assessment. I don't care about the other Sensing stuff much, and I've already turned off Lanewatch, because I hate how it takes over the screen. Absolutely another factor is the potential added fun of a TSP Stage 1 tune down the line, although I have no intention of even considering that for several thousand miles. I'm just so super-pumped to be driving a fun stick car again. The test drive yesterday, and the driving I've done since, has reminded me how much I missed that. As I mentioned earlier, I can't wait to have the car broken in and put it through its paces on some of the backroads around here.

I wound up buying from Madison Honda. I got a good but not great price from them -- a shade over a thousand under sticker. The key is they made it quick and painless. I already had a Carvana offer for my VW, and a check-ready auto loan from PNC (which I highly recommend doing). By Friday night I was already in touch via email with several dealers, and as a flier I requested a quote using Cars Direct, which is what directed me to Madison. I was called by their internet guy that morning, was in the dealership by 12:30, and driving home by 3:40. They honored the quote given online, had zero dealer-installed add-ons (a must for me), and clinched the deal by offering a trade in value on my VW that was within shouting range of Carvana, which I had not expected. I know if I went in fully loaded for bear, and willing to drive around several dealerships, I could have squeezed out a better deal. But I was ready to buy, and was willing to sacrifice a couple bucks for a relatively quick, hassle-free experience. They gave that to me. I would also definitely recommend Clinton Honda. They are the Costco dealer, and I would have used them in a heartbeat if they had the Si in stock. They are universally well-reviewed online as well. If you are in my neck of the woods, Autosport in Bridgewater would be worth a look. There are a few others I can give pro or con on. I almost bought an Accord a year ago and I have gathered some info on darn near every dealership between Monmouth and Sussex counties. Yes, I'm a bit detail-oriented.

Good stuff, thanks for the detailed response. Re: the GLI - I've more or less reached the same conclusion. I really like that car but I'm not sure I can live with the reliability concerns. My only personal experience owning a VAG product was a 2001 (2001.5, to be precise) Audi A4 1.8TQ. Man, I loved that car, despite the fact that it was the least reliable vehicle I've ever owned. I dealt with several relatively minor incidents over my first few years of ownership (stuff like faulty ignition coils) - and then suffered a catastrophic oil pump failure mere days before the 4-year warranty was due to expire. Audi replaced the engine at zero cost to me - but if the incident had taken place just one week later, I'd have been looking at a $9800 bill. Sort of apples & oranges relative to the GLI, especially considering how much time has passed...but that experience still colors my impression of the brand.

Aside from the GLI...as I'm sure you've observed, there just aren't a whole lot of similarly-priced cars out there available with a manual. Might take another look at the WRX, and I think I'll probably test drive the Forte GT...but it would really have to blow me away before I'd consider it over the Si. Toying with a Veloster N, even though it's nowhere near as practical as anything else I'm looking at.

Re: dealers - I think I'm probably a little south of you (central NJ area) so my closest options would be Open Road, DCH, and Princeton Honda. I bought my CR-V from DCH, and while it wasn't an awful experience, they rubbed me the wrong way with their litany of dealer add-ons. I'm familiar with Autosport, which isn't too far from me. I'd go anywhere in the state for a good deal & hassle-free experience. When I'm ready to pull the trigger, I'll go the "email blast" route and see where that leaves me.

 

[mjh]

Good stuff, thanks for the detailed response. Re: the GLI - I've more or less reached the same conclusion. I really like that car but I'm not sure I can live with the reliability concerns. My only personal experience owning a VAG product was a 2001 (2001.5, to be precise) Audi A4 1.8TQ. Man, I loved that car, despite the fact that it was the least reliable vehicle I've ever owned. I dealt with several relatively minor incidents over my first few years of ownership (stuff like faulty ignition coils) - and then suffered a catastrophic oil pump failure mere days before the 4-year warranty was due to expire. Audi replaced the engine at zero cost to me - but if the incident had taken place just one week later, I'd have been looking at a $9800 bill. Sort of apples & oranges relative to the GLI, especially considering how much time has passed...but that experience still colors my impression of the brand.

Aside from the GLI...as I'm sure you've observed, there just aren't a whole lot of similarly-priced cars out there available with a manual. Might take another look at the WRX, and I think I'll probably test drive the Forte GT...but it would really have to blow me away before I'd consider it over the Si. Toying with a Veloster N, even though it's nowhere near as practical as anything else I'm looking at.

Re: dealers - I think I'm probably a little south of you (central NJ area) so my closest options would be Open Road, DCH, and Princeton Honda. I bought my CR-V from DCH, and while it wasn't an awful experience, they rubbed me the wrong way with their litany of dealer add-ons. I'm familiar with Autosport, which isn't too far from me. I'd go anywhere in the state for a good deal & hassle-free experience. When I'm ready to pull the trigger, I'll go the "email blast" route and see where that leaves me.

Never dealt with Princeton, but AVOID Open Road; I had an experience with them that included a false online price, poor treatment at the dealership, and hidden dealer add-ons. Later I almost bought the Accord from DCH; they hooked me in with an "online price" and then slammed me with about 900 dollars of dealer add-ons after I took the test drive, which they then magnanimously reduced to only 300. No dice, and I'm glad I didn't. I would absolutely keep an eye on Clinton Honda and Autosport, both of whom claim no dealer add-ons.

Veloster N was never on the table for me, as I wanted a sedan. I would definitely recommend testing the Forte if it's going to be your daily driver; the interior is nice and the infotainment is way ahead of the Civic. It was a very close call for me between the Si and the Forte GT.

 

[COOL COUPE]

66 on the odometer is way out of line ... my 2019 picked up on Feb 2 had 5 miles on it manufactured in Jan 2019 .... The sticker never made it to the window and NO ONE but ME ever drove my car. 66 Miles did not concern you???

 

[quakaroaks]

Never dealt with Princeton, but AVOID Open Road; I had an experience with them that included a false online price, poor treatment at the dealership, and hidden dealer add-ons. Later I almost bought the Accord from DCH; they hooked me in with an "online price" and then slammed me with about 900 dollars of dealer add-ons after I took the test drive, which they then magnanimously reduced to only 300. No dice, and I'm glad I didn't. I would absolutely keep an eye on Clinton Honda and Autosport, both of whom claim no dealer add-ons.

Veloster N was never on the table for me, as I wanted a sedan. I would definitely recommend testing the Forte if it's going to be your daily driver; the interior is nice and the infotainment is way ahead of the Civic. It was a very close call for me between the Si and the Forte GT.

I could attest my buyer experience at autosport, no add ons when I got the 6mt hatch. OK deal and no headaches with the finance Dept.

 

[mjh]

It was originally at another dealership in NJ. Frankly, under a hundred miles I didn't even give it a thought. Too late now -- I love the car and it's paid for. Thanks for demonstrating your superior savvy.

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